After starting the Big Ten season 1-3 and losing their first two conference home games, it looked as if the 2011-2012 season might soon become one to forget for Wisconsin men's basketball. But after picking up just their second win at Purdue since 1972 with a 67-62 victory on Thursday night, the Badgers (2-3 Big Ten, 13-5 overall) suddenly find themselves back in the thick of a wide open Big Ten race. As they beginning a two-game homestand Sunday against Nebraska, UW is just two games back of conference leaders Michigan State and Illinois, with an opportunity to face the Illini next Sunday holding a winning record in conference play.
Nebraska, on the other hand, is getting a stiff taste of what Big Ten play is like right from the get go in the school's inaugural season as a member of the conference. The Cornhuskers (1-4 Big Ten, 9-7 overall) finally picked up their first Big Ten victory in a 70-58 decision over Penn State on Wednesday, but have lost by double-digits in three of their four losses in the conference, the lone tight defeat coming in a game against Illinois during which Nebraska collapsed in the second half after getting off to a hot start. Wisconsin has already put a beating on the Huskers, winning in Lincoln 64-40 in both schools' conference opener back on December 27th.
But after losing a tight one to Illinois and finally notching a win against the Nittany Lions, Nebraska finally seems to be playing without fear. Four Huskers finished in double-figures against Penn State, led by senior guard Bo Spencer, whose 19 point performance pushed him to just a notch under 15 points per game for the season. Keeping Spencer in check will be a point of emphasis for the Badgers, who held the Baton Rouge, Louisiana native to a season-low of just 5 points on 2-of-12 shooting in the teams' first meeting back in December.
Wisconsin needs to continue seeing contributions for several sources, something that served them well in the non-conference season and put them over the top in Thursday's win in West Lafayette. While senior guard Jordan Taylor failed to score in the first half and only finished with 12 points, the Badgers got double-digit scoring from five different players, something they had not done since the season opener against Kennesaw State.
Junior guard Mike Brusewitz was one of those five, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting, all coming from beyond the arc. While Bruesewitz eventually fouled out, his first double-digit output since a November 26th win over BYU was much needed for a Badger team that has become too reliant on Taylor for scoring and as a result has struggled mightily on the offensive end in conference play. As the Badgers try to get themselves back into the conference title conversation, that consistency from the role players will be a key factor.
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